Boys Basketball: Bogan answers North Lawndale’s late charge

Updated: February 10, 2012 9:10PM

In terms of pure team speed and quickness, Bogan coach Arthur Goodwin ranks his Bengals at the top of the Public League.

But in the midst of a Public League playoff run and the state playoffs looming, Goodwin wants to see another side of his squad, a side he saw in Friday’s game against North Lawndale.

“We’re the fastest team in the city, but you’ve got to have two speeds,” Goodwin said. “You’ve got to be able to slow down and play organized ball. We’ve been working at it in practice.”

Watching a double-digit lead dwindle away, Bogan came through in the fourth quarter with an answer for every North Lawndale charge, winning 83-67 in the second round Public League playoff game.

Bogan will play the Taft/Perspectives-Calumet winner Sunday at Chicago State.

Devonte Smith (20 points), Ronnell Bucker (15), Luwane Pipkins (15) and DeVaughn Johnson (12 points) led a balanced attack for Bogan (22-2). A.J. Smith scored 20 points and Keith Mack added 14 for North Lawndale (15-7).

Having led by as many as 15 in the first half, Bogan found itself clinging to its lead in the fourth quarter. The Phoenix cut the deficit to two points following a Mack layup at 64-62.

“If they score two, we have to get the ball and go for three,” Buckner said of the change in mindset. “We have to get back and be the first ones back up the court, make them stay up on their toes.”

Pipkins answered for the Bengals, drilling a three and following it up with a steal and a layup. North Lawndale cut the lead to four points twice in the closing minutes (69-65 and 71-67), but Buckner closed the game out.

The senior hit 3 of 4 free throws and added a fast break bucket for the Bengals. Pressure in a tight situation? Not for Buckner.

“I didn’t feel that pressure,” Buckner said. “You just have to stay calm and keep your head up. Look up for that next pass.”

Bogan closed the game on a 12-0 run as North Lawndale committed six turnovers in the fourth quarter while going 4 of 14 from the field.

“We’re down two, and we turn the ball over three times,” Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe said. “It was that quick. We should have shown a little more patience and taken care of the ball a little better.”

Friday’s game was stopped twice, once in the first and once in the fourth, for incidents in the crowd.

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